The Evocatively Named Subaru B5-TPH

At the recent Tokyo Motor Show, Subaru showcased a vehicle a tad more sporty than the very cute R1e, which we mentioned before. The B5 TPH Concept (this middle bit means‘Turbo Parallel Hybrid’) is a ‘crossover’ hatchback with the ground clearance of a 4WD. But the bit that interests us here is that it’s a hybrid, There’s an electric generator/motor mounted twixt the 2.0 litre engine and the transmission. “The electric motor itself produces 10 kW and 150 Nm torque while the petrol engine has a 191 kW output with 343 Nm torque.” An unlike most hybrids where the electric elements kick in just for city driving, the B5 TPH’s are capable of operating at cruising speeds too. And its “manganese lithium ion battery charges to 95 per cent capacity in five minutes.” The hybrid engine itself might one day find itself on the road, but the car as shown here is not expected to have a commercial release. From sites all over the blogsphere, like Jalopnik, but probably the most pics can be found at ::SeriousWheels .